Zero Parallax

Shaping our words to match the Receiver

2009-02-26T15:41:00.000+08:00

Communicating with words Zero Parallax is shaping our words to match the receiver. It’s like a device in a computing system knowing exactly how to format a message so that the device it is sending the message too understands how to decode the message. It is the unimpeded (free) flow of information. Failing that it is understanding the impedances that affect transmission so that we can take them into account, so that we can calibrate for “viewing error.”
Being able to account for parallax or to zero it allows us to function better as well as everyone around us because there is no error in the system. All the parts relate perfectly. And all the parts become free to realize their best potential.

Knowing Where we are Sitting in the Airplane

2009-02-26T15:39:00.002+08:00

A friend who is a pilot told me about zero parallax in the context of flying.
A pilot has to be aware of their position relative to the instruments so that they can account for viewing error. They can then zero parallax.
Because they are sitting off of the plane’s center line they also have to be aware of their relationship relative to the aircraft.
Looking out the window they have to know where they are in the plane so that they can align it with the direction they are going in, so they can trim it. To do that they have reference points on the airplane that they can use to align the plane with the direction they are going in. These are the points they use to calibrate themselves with straight ahead. They know that when they use these points to line the plane up it will actually be flying straight ahead and lined up with straight ahead.
This is especially important when landing.
Now suppose a beginner pilot gets comfortable flying from one side of the aircraft but then they have to switch positions and learn to fly from the other seat.
They then have to learn new reference points.
However once these points are learned they can then fly the plane from either seat.
Knowing where they are in the plane they can account for their position and fly the plane straight. It’s like they are centered in the plane even though they are positioned to the side. They are centered in the airplane because they are aware of how they relate to it.

Driving a Land Rover in the army while on an exercise, my co-driver Taff taught me about rally driving.
In rally driving corners are graded according to how tight or open they are. If a corner has a higher number it meant that it is tighter, a lower number means that the corner is more open. The lower the number of a corner the faster we can go around it. Other information that the navigator gave the driver was the direction of the turn, left or right, and a countdown to the beginning of the turn.
Looking ahead Taff told me the direction and the grade of each turn and gave me a countdown to it. I focused on listening and adjusting my speed appropriately.
As we rounded each corner I found that his grading for each corner felt very natural so that it was easy to trust his assessment of each corner.
I think part of the comfort level was the way he described each turn. It was unambiguous and natural and direct. Because he was describing exactly what he was seeing, he was providing me a direct view of the way ahead. And I was allowing him to give me that view. Neither one of us second-guessed the other. He focused on navigating and I focused on driving and together with the vehicle we were in we made the idea of driving real. And even though we weren’t actually rallying, all we were doing was that he was seeing and I was doing, it felt good to work with him in this way and I got a sense of what actual rallying and teamwork could be like.

A long time ago for one of my Chinese Calligraphy projects I tried to come up with my own translation of the first verse of “The Dao De Ching.” One line in particular I found troublesome and interesting. “The name of a thing is not the thing.”
Thinking back to the time I was rallying with Taff I began to understand one possible translation of that verse.
When we know what it is we are talking about, if we say what we see, plainly and clearly, so that the person listening can see what we mean then the words (the name) becomes the thing.
If we express our truth so that the person is listening can see our true selves, the words become the thing we are talking about. When we understand something completely, so that it is a part of our experience, then the name becomes the thing.
So how is this relevant here?
When Taff told me exactly what he saw and I understood him it was so easy to connect to him and trust him, easy to let go. And I imagine that with a good lead that is how a partner feels when they are dancing, like she can let go. And perhaps it is a letting go on both parties parts, in the context of driving the navigator relaxing enough, trusting that their driver will understand and so saying what they see without modification, the driver relaxing enough to trust implicitly what his or her co-driver is saying.
Zero parallax, words reflecting their meaning for both the person saying the words and the person listening to them.
Zero parallax, allowing ideas to drive the words that we say.
If two people are flying together, one flies, working the controls of the plane; connected to the plane, the other does the navigating; connected to the earth. And they connect to each other by working out a means of communicating so that they can share information, when it is needed. If the connection, the language they use, is good, then they can communicate with zero parallax, zero error. The words match the same meaning for both the sender and the receiver. The words become their meaning so that when the navigator tells the pilot where they are or which direction they need to go, the pilot has an image of what is coming up as if they are seeing it with their own eyes. And when the pilot asks the navigator for a specific piece of information, the navigator knows, exactly what the pilot needs.
They become one with each other and the plane they are in.
Part of it is the words that we use, using words that match their meaning, part of it is both of parties knowing exactly where they are, in relationship to each other and in relationship to what they are doing. Part of it is sharing the same idea for what they are trying to do.
Being able to account for parallax, we see the limits within which we can move and we move within them.
Prior to rallying, Taff explained to me what we were going to do. For myself, I understood Taff well enough (despite the Welsh accent ha ha) when he described to me how rally drivers and their copilots work together that I could actually do it. So as well as understanding the pieces, the individual ideas, I understood the point of all those pieces joined together. We both did.

Communicating Efficiently by Understanding the Idea of what we are trying to say

2009-02-26T15:36:00.003+08:00

When I teach yoga I endeavor to use language that directly relates to what I am talking about. I teach based on what I understand and I try to let what I understand drive the words that I use. Rather than worrying about the words I focus on the idea that drives those words. I’m helping my students to change their body so I use the change that I’m trying to create drive the words that I use.
I also explain the language that I use so that people can get on with doing yoga. For example when they understand what I mean when I say, “Roll the pelvis forwards” they can do it. And if they haven’t yet got the full ability to roll their pelvis forwards they can work on developing that ability as opposed to wasting time trying to figure out what I said.
Watching the people in my class when I explain rolling the pelvis forwards (and backwards) I can see if someone doesn’t get it and explain it to them in a different way, perhaps having them look in a mirror at both myself and themselves so that it is easier for them to duplicate the action.
Some people might not be able to do the action easily because of tight muscles or the position they are in and looking at my students I can detect this problem and act on it. I can suggest a change in position so that it is easier to them to move their pelvis and to learn to feel it.
Why have them modify their position? So they can move their pelvis and learn to feel it moving. Once they can move their pelvis and feel it moving then they can slowly move to the limit of their ability and then push that limit back.
What is the pelvis, it is a Component Idea in the Big Idea of the body. It is the “Bony Bowl” that connects the legs to the spine. In some instances we can think of it as an extension of the spine, an extra large vertebrae that gives us leverage so that we can use our hip muscles to act on the spine. In other instances we can think of it as the base of the spine and in other instances as the center of the body. These are some of the ways we can view the idea of the pelvis.
Why do I teach people about the pelvis? It is a logical and real element of the body. I teach them so that they can learn to sense and control it.
What is a Yoga Pose, it is a way of positioning each part of the body, perhaps with a specific intent, to strengthen or stretch particular muscles of the body or to put the body in a particular shape for some energetic benefit or to benefit the organs of the body in a particular way.
Each yoga pose is an idea, a Big Idea (the intention of the pose) made up of the Component Ideas of what each part of the body should be doing (the intention for each part of the body).
In any pose where the pelvis is required to roll forwards, that is the idea of what the pelvis does in that pose. Learning this idea my students can do it and they can learn to do it without having to think about it.
Imagine me as the teacher being able to say “Roll your pelvis forwards” and everyone doing it almost as soon as the words are said. We have an efficient transmission of information. I can say it and they can get on with doing it. We Zero Parallax and we make the best use of the time that we have.
To get to that stage I have to teach them their body and before that I have to teach them a common language and even before that I have to understand what I am trying to get them to do.
When I understand the ideas of the body and the idea of what each part is doing in a yoga pose I can teach efficiently and effectively. I can do my job well. Understanding the ideas of the body and yoga I can give clear instructions and my students can easily pick up on the purpose of what I am trying to say.
To think in terms of ideas and talk in terms of them we have to know what we are talking about. We also have to understand how we relate to the idea. It forces us to ask the question, how do we define this particular idea? How do other people define this idea? What change does it create for my self? What change does it create for others? Understanding ideas from different points of view we can learn to communicate effectively. We can Zero Parallax.

Centered in the Idea of Our Selves

2009-02-26T15:33:00.001+08:00

Centered in the idea of ourselves, we know where we are in relation to the plane. We are centered not because we are positioned at the center of the airplane. We are centered because we know where our center is in relation to the center of the airplane, and we know where the plane is in relation to the earth.
When conditions become adverse, by staying aware of where we are in the plane and where the plane is in relation to the earth, we can fly it to the limits of its ability and our own no matter what is happening outside or because of what is happening outside. We can handle whatever is happening around us and still stay in one piece.
We can ride the edge without falling off of it.
Extending this idea to handling adverse conditions ourselves, perhaps we are in a relationship that isn’t ideal but for whatever reason we decide to stay in it instead of disconnecting from it.
The relationship might be with a partner or spouse or other family member. Maybe it is with someone we work with or perhaps it is a friend. If we fight a lot with that person or they fight us or berate us despite our efforts to be peaceful, then we can make the choice to stand up for ourselves. Or in my case what I did was decide that if I was going to be berated then I would use the time productively and meditate at the same time. As the verbal abuse piled on to me I focused on feeling my body, in particular my center. I did that and what I found was that instead of staying quiet I decided to fight back, but instead of random words, the equivalent of empty punches, I fought back from my energetic center.
Afterwards I still ended up sleeping on the couch, but I didn’t mind. I didn’t feel drained afterwards and I also didn’t feel like I had been beaten up. I had given myself room to move when someone else was trying to take it from me.
The interesting thing was that the next day when I went to Tai Ji, I applied this same feeling to doing Tai Ji, being centered not just physically but energetically. I think I had the best Tai Ji practice I’ve ever had. I was able to stay aware of key aspects of what I was doing and I was able to balance easily. The sense was like in some gong fu movies where the fighters jump from the top of one pole to the other easily. I was just moving from one leg to the other while trying to control my sword but I felt a similar sense of presence, ease and grace. I flowed.
And that is one of the interesting things about doing martial arts, or doing something that is challenging. By learning to handle adverse conditions or adverse relationships and still stay centered we can flow no matter what the circumstances.
What happens then if two people who fight are both experts at staying centered? They don’t fight so much as they dance together. Fighting (in some instances) then becomes not about conflict but about having fun, not because we are hurting each other but because we are challenging each other and helping each other to grow.
Centered in the idea of ourselves we can learn to enjoy our selves no matter what situation we are in.

Understanding Our Own Point of View so that we can Zero Parallax

2009-02-26T15:16:00.003+08:00

Zero Parallax is the term I use to describe the state where we understand an idea completely. The idea can be that of our body or of something outside of our self. The idea can be something that helps to unite us with the person we are with.
I first learned about Parallax in Chemistry class. We had to learn how to measure quantities of chemicals accurately. What was important was how we related to the instrument when we took our readings. Also important was having an instrument that could measure accurately.
Measuring liquid into a graduated beaker we had to stand so that our line of sight was level with the measurement graduations so that we measured consistently. If all of us in the class adopted the same position taking turns to measure using the same beaker we would all see the same results.
Now if we all measured at a viewing angle of 30 degrees we would also all get the same results. The measurements would be wrong, but we’d all be wrong in the same way.
However, if one of us measured at an angle of zero degrees and another of us measured at an angle of 30 degrees then we would all have different results measuring the same thing.
The point was to be consistent.
To be consistent we had to share a point of view. To be consistent with the norm we had to measure at zero degrees. The “error” we got when we made a measurement not at zero degrees is called parallax.
If we all measured at zero degrees then we have a state of Zero Parallax, zero viewing error. We all relate to the same thing in the same way.
Looking at the old fashioned types of clocks with hands and a face instead of a digital readout we can stand directly in front of the clock and see that it is 12 o’clock. However if we stand to the left enough 12 o’clock actually looks like 12:02. Not a big difference but enough if we have to be somewhere else in one minute’s time.
Understanding that when we stand to the side we introduce viewing error we can take this viewing error into account. We can stand to the side of the clock, notice what it looks like it is saying then shift so that we are standing in front of the clock to see what it is actually saying. Then whenever we stand at the side we know what time it actually is despite our viewing angle. We can calibrate for viewing error.
When we understand the clock and how our relationship to the clock changes the time we see we can take our relationship to the clock into account when we read it. Being able to take our relationship to the clock into account we no longer have to be directly in-front of the clock to see the right time. We don’t have to move to see the correct time because we have taken the time to calibrate for different positions.
(The assumption here is that the clock tells time accurately and is set to the right time.)
Understanding where we are standing with respect to what we are looking and how our relationship affects what we see we can zero parallax.

Chinese to English Translations

2008-09-06T11:34:00.008+08:00

One of my pet projects is building my very own do it yourself Chinese dictionary and contextual language tool. The dictionary idea is basically a tool that prints out all the information I need on any character in my data base. the idea was that as I entered text, say a book I was trying to translate, I could update data already entered based on each new entry. I also wanted the ability to add characters and words easily and I wanted it to handle both simplifed and traditional characters.
Part of the offshoot of this was the following essays taken from a Yale Class site. They had the Simplified characters and the mp3 file but not translation and no transliteration. So I used my dictionary to do all of that. The result is as you see it below. My next step is to find more ready printed (uncopyrighted) chinese text and use that to build up my database. Note that previously I was typing everything in which is a little time consuming. Hopefully this will speed up the process so the dictionary is more complete. meanwhile you can check out the translations and transliterations below.

I would love to know what you think of the layout, if it is helpful.
Because this was taken from a yale site I used Yale romanization. Mostly though I prefer to use both Pin Yin and Gwoyeu Romatzyh together.

Oh yes, the english translations are "rough," I didn't bother going through to make it grammatically correct, but hopefully sensable enough that you can make sense of both the passages and how the Chinese grammar system works.

all the best

Neil

P.S. Each entry contains two main blocks of text with each block divided into two parts left to right.
In the first block the left part contains Simplified Chinese "words" with the corresponding Yale Romanization. The right part contains the corresponding Traditional Chinese characters with the English Translation.

The second block of text contains just Simplified characters on the left and just the corresponding Traditional characters on the right. Just in case you want to test your reading or comprehension skill!

again, all the best

Neil

Chinese to English Translations

1. Traditional Chinese Festivals
2. Chinese Culture and Tradition-Respecting the Older Generation

3. Chinese Codes of Behavior-Being a Guest and Receiving Them
4. The role of Women in Traditional Chinese Marriages

Exercising Consciousness

2008-09-06T11:21:00.006+08:00

Can you exercise consciousness? Can you practice the ability to sense choices, can you practice making all possibilities real? Can you practice unifying mind and body? Can you practice seeing connections and being able to make them, becoming a genius at seeing the easy way, the simple way of doing things?
Can you practice thinking outside of the box?

Yes you can.

Conscious movement is an exercise that improves the connections between the mind and the body. It is an exercise for seeing possibility and making those possibilities real. It is a practice that helps you to see clearly, both what you can do and what your are doing. And as much as it exercises the mind, it also exercises and balances the body.

Dance of Shiva Level 0, the basic movements of Dance of Shiva

The Foundational Hand Positions of Dance of Shiva

About Zero Parallax

2008-07-05T13:15:00.000+08:00

When you look at an old fashioned clock, the kind with a round face and a minute hand, an hour hand and a second hand, then depending on where you are standing you can see a different view of the time. Standing straight in front of the clock the time might look to be 12:00 but stand slightly to the side and the clock looks like it is saying 12:03.
Depending on what you need to do at the time that difference can be an important difference or it may not matter at all-“It’s around 12 o’clock!”

When we look at the clock straight on we get an unimpeded view of the truth. The clock is showing 12:00. When we look at it from the side it looks like it is showing 12:03, (or from the other side 11:57) Viewing error like this is called parallax. When we stand straight in front of the clock we “Zero Parallax.”

But there is another way we can Zero Parallax. If we are standing at the side and we are aware of our relationship then we can take this into account. Looking at the clock it might look like it is saying 11:57 but taking into account our position we guess that it is saying 11:59 or maybe even 12:00. And so we can help to zero parallax by understanding where we are in relationship to the clock.

If we are standing straight in front of the clock we get a single view of the clock. It is not the only view and while for telling the time it may be the best view but it doesn’t mean that the other views or positions are any less valuable. Looking at the clock from the side we can see that the hands stand proud of the face and so we understand that depending on where we stand we all have a different view of the truth. And so Zero Parallax is understanding that no view is “wrong” it is just a different view and when we can see from all points of view, that is when we can maximize our understanding. We can understand that for the best view of the time we stand straight in front of the clock. We understand that by standing at the side we can see how each hand is at a slightly different distance from the face of the clock. If we have a cutaway view clock we can actually see the gears of the clock from the side if the clock actually does have gears and isn’t driven by an electric motor.

So really zero parallax is understanding both how we relate to an object and how the parts of the object relate to each other and how other people relate to that object. How is this beneficial? What are the advantages of seeing from all points of view?

For a long time two different parties debated over whether light was more like a particle of more like a wave. There was experimental evidence to support both points of view. But both parties thought that light had to be either one or the other. With the advent of quantum mechanics it was realized that both views were right, that light is both a particle and a wave, it depends under which circumstances you view it. And this model applied to not just light but all sub atomic particles. This new understanding is responsible for the state of digital electronics today. Without this understanding we may not have the computers we have now.

And so understanding different points of view and how they are both views of the same thing gives us more possibility as opposed to less. It gives us more choices on how to do things and how to view things. It opens us up to the world of possibility and understanding.

And so zero parallax, this website, is geared towards providing you tools so that you can see both yourself and the world around you more clearly and so that you can choose from a greater space of possibility. It is understanding that we all have a different view of all that is, and that perhaps that is why we are here, experiencing life, so that all that is can know itself by us experiencing life to the greatest extent possible, by realizing our greatest and best possibility.

2008-06-19T11:52:00.000+08:00

Welcome to Zero Parallax

2008-04-05T21:10:00.000+08:00

My real name is Neil Keleher and this blog is my second attempt at publicizing Basic Principles. You can see my first attempt at basicprinciples.wordpress.com. I changed the name to zero parallax because it sounds cool. Something about the “Z” sound. Z for Sexy!

Most of the searches I did on Basic Principles came up pretty lame, basic principles of accounting, basic principles of life, well that was what I was trying to write about but those sites were religious in nature. This site isn’t religious. It could be spiritual.

I am spiritual and I’m a yoga teacher. Well, I call myself a yoga teacher but I like to think of myself as someone who helps people to learn their body. Why? So that they can be free within it, free to realize the ultimate potential of their body, like getting into a Ferrari or a Lamborghini and rather than driving it like a beat up old Ford or Chevrolet, driving it like the car it is. And maybe some of us do have Fords or Chevies, and that’s okay too. The point is understanding what we have so that we can use it. And if we like upgrade or customize where possible.

Learning to feel the body isn’t hard. Nor is yoga hard. It can actually be quite easy and the results are a body that feels good. I do Tai Ji and I’m just starting to learn dance as well and the thing that is common to them all is the body, and because I’ve learned to feel my body, to sense it, to make it and my mind one, I’m getting better at being able to make it do what I want it to do because I know what it is capable of. I’m 39 years old and my body is getting better.

But zero parallax is more than understanding (and more importantly being able to feel or sense) our body. It is understanding life and the things in it. If we understand our body or if we understand ourselves in the context of what is around us we can use that understanding in any situation that we like because we understand basic principles. We see the truth, whichever view of it is the most useful at the time.

Let me clarify. I’m gonna clarify. The truth. Most of us probably take it for granted these days that light acts like a particle and a wave. Scientists developed the idea of Quanta to package both of these properties. Before that there were arguments as to which view of light was right. Some said it was a wave others said it was a particle. Both parties found ways to prove that they were right. The thing was that they were both right. Light is both. It depends on the circumstances that you look at in. With this deeper understanding came greater insights. More freedom. (trace electronic theory back to that...)

And at it’s heart that is what zero parallax is about, understanding that whatever we look at we all have slightly different points of view but it is all of those views together that provide the real truth. And so this is my point of view of the world, slightly different than yours but given in the hopes that we can all increase our understanding of all that is.
And looking for a reason for life, perhaps that is what we are here for, to each experience life in our own unique way so that all that is can know itself. And all that is knows itself by us sharing all our different points of view.